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CRD Sewer Billing

Your City of Victoria utility bills now reflects 100 per cent of your Capital Regional District (CRD) sewer costs. The CRD levy on your annual property tax bill will no longer include CRD sewer costs.

In 2009, a phased process began to base CRD sewer costs on your metered water use, rather than on your assessed property value. Since then, a percentage of CRD sewer costs has been reflected on your utility and property tax bills. As of January 1, 2011, the CRD sewer cost will be based solely on your metered water consumption and charges will appear only on your utility bills.

This change is due to the anticipated costs associated with secondary sewage treatment mandated for the Capital Region. With the full implementation of the CRD's Liquid Waste Management Plan (to introduce secondary sewage treatment) the cost to the citizens and businesses in Victoria is expected to be significant.

Basing sewer charges on water consumption is considered a best practice, transparent to all residents, and a more equitable system than based on assessed property value. This system has the most direct relationship to the actual sewage use, and is the closest to a user pay relationship. In addition, it will allow users to potentially reduce their CRD sewer costs by reducing water consumption. Tax exempt properties will also be obligated to pay for their share of the utility costs.

Some high consumers of water can expect significant changes to their sewer billing charges with this new system, and the phased in transfer from the property tax bill to the utility bill has given consumers an opportunity to adjust.